What a year! Thank you for being part of VTLA. Take a quick glance at 2024 here and resolve to lean into your VTLA membership in 2025: attend a program, contribute to our revised hot docs library online, join in a virtual section meeting or listserve discussion, or read a Journal article - we have so many ways to help you succeed. See you next year!

Have you considered seeking a position on the VTLA Board of Governors? It's that time of year again! Consider running for a seat as an elected District Governor on our 2025-2026 Board. VTLA has 13 Districts and 16 District Governor seats with the next one-year term of office beginning March 22, 2025. The districts and current governors are listed in the Directory of Members and Services.

If you are interested, please submit a signed petition by December 27. Learn more about the composition of VTLA’s Board of Governors, the current Governors and responsibilities by reading more here.

Still have questions? Call Valerie O’Brien at 804-343-1143, ext. 302 or email here.

Be sure you have marked VTLA’s Convention on your 2025 calendar - March 19-22 at The Homestead!

See your cases in a new way. Learn how to use technology to help prove, streamline and resolve your cases. Take home pages of tips to improve your practice. We have some great national speakers who have said yes (Elise Sanguinetti, Moses Kim and Tad Thomas) and a number of stellar Virginia experts.

Mark the dates and reserve your room now at The Homestead.

Law is not a solo sport. Stay part of the VTLA team for 2025 by renewing your membership today. You can renew online, over the phone (804.343.1143), or through the mail using the invoice you should have received recently. Have questions? Need another copy of your invoice? Email our membership team! It’s quick and easy and gives you a clean start to the new year. 

A crowd of enthusiastic paralegals and legal assistants packed the room at our annual seminar last week at a great new location in Fredericksburg. Thank you to the outgoing chair, Lynne Seay, and co-chair Tracy Houck, for all of their hard work along with the planning committee to put on more than 18 presentations in one day. More than 20 vendors who work closely with our members were on hand with snacks, tchotchkes and prizes! You can view some photos HERE.

VTLA’s paralegal membership is growing, thriving, learning and sharing. If you or your paralegal missed the program, watch for next year’s program (hint: it might be November 13th).

Welcome to our new chair Tammy Lynn, chair-elect Matt Mcmullen and new Secretary Stephanie Ayala! Anyone interested in a leadership role, please let us know!

Vision boards (seen above) started the first VTLA’s Women’s Caucus retreat last week. With scissors, glue and magazines, members met each other, talked, laughed and shared while creating visual representations of their goals. That activity springboarded general discussions and continued with presentations the following day.

The Ascend Summit brought speakers on client development, how to build a referral network, leveraging relationship currency, time management skills, leadership and financial empowerment. Take a look at a few photos HERE. Many thanks to Amy Griggs for putting the program together and all the attendees!

Our past president Bryan Slaughter was awarded the 2024 Lewis F. Powell Jr. Pro Bono Award last month. The award recognizes an attorney who has made an outstanding pro bono contributions in the Commonwealth. He was nominated by Supreme Court Justice Stephen R. McCullough, co-chair of Virginia’s Access to Justice Commission, who said Bryan “has spent countless hours skillfully and thoughtfully advancing the cause of pro bono.”

You can read the full announcement on the State Bar’s website HERE.

Congratulations, Bryan, and thank you from all of us for this important work!

A principal at Blankingship & Keith in Fairfax, Porto was selected as Virginia Lawyers Weekly’s 2024 “Leader of the Year” following a secret ballot vote of the Class of 2024 Leaders in the Law. 

Congratulations, Juli!

Past President Vaden Warren said it the best: “Make the life you want.” The joys of being in a solo or small firm far exceed the pains, according to most everyone at our Solo and Small Firm Retreat last month. Managing the pains is where the value of VTLA’s new section will be felt and the retreat launched from there. From marketing, to building a brand, to using AI, and even a crash course on business analytics and trust accounting, the participants left with pages of notes and ideas. Check out some photos HERE.

Did you miss it? Join the Section and keep learning all year long! Thank you to Lauren Ellerman and Tony Greene for putting together the retreat and all the participants who were open to sharing and learning together.

Congratulations to Mic McConnell as the recipient of the 2024 VADA-VTLA Civility and Professionalism Award! Mic received the award last month at the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys annual meeting in Williamsburg.

The Award is given each year by both associations to honor an attorney in the other organization who exhibits the highest degree of civility and professionalism in the practice of law and, through his or her interaction with others, promotes the highest levels of competence, integrity, and ethical conduct in the legal profession.

Earlier this year, VTLA presented the award to John Zunka from Charlottesville.